Life-preserver.



J, R. ORTMAN. LIFE PRESER'VER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 23, 1910.

Patented July 29, 1913.

vwmtoz JOHN is. OBTMAN, or RAYNESFOBD, MONTANA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. f

Patented July 2'9, 1913.

Application filed July 23, 1910. Serial No. 513,403.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN R. OirrrtAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raynesford, in the county of Cascade, State" of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a life preserver, and more particularly to the class of garment ,type life preservers.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a life preserver in the form of a garment adapted to be worn in the usual manner and constructed to be quickly and conveniently converted into a life preserver when-the occasion requires.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a life preserver made up to represent and having all'the appearances and functions of avest, the same bein divided into independent pockets in whie are arranged inflatable bags, the same being normally collapsed for ready and convenient.

inflation to-give buoyant eilect to the garment when it is desired to use the same as a life preserver. I

Another object is to provide a vest of this character, wherein the vest is practically covered with inflatable floats, thereby obtaining maximum sustaining power without sacrificing neatness in appearance, the floats being arranged so as to admit of freedom of movement to the vertebrae and shoulder bones of thewearer, thereby decreasing the hampering efliects of such a vest, and reducing to a minimum the rubbing and chafing of the contacting rubber of the several floats when they are deflated and the compression of the air therein when inflated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a life preserver which is simple in construction, and thatmay be manufactured at a minimum expense.

lVith these and other objects inview the invention consists in the construction, comvation of a life preserver constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of one of the inflatable shoulder bags.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals 5 designates generally air'article of wearing apparel preferably in the form of a vest comprising outer front cloth sections 6 united attheir upper edges and for distances along their side edges to an outer back section T to provide a neck opening 8 and arm holes 9 sections and also the back section is socured an inner lining 10 the same being secured at intervals to the said front and. back sections by transverse rows of stitching 11 to form independent pockets 12 and 13 extending continuously transversely of the garment to the open trout thereof, and above the said pockets are provided independent shoulder pockets 1%.

and to the said front.

The said front sections (3 of the vest are provided with the usual buttons 15 and button-holes 16 re spectively, whereby the said vest may be secured about and readily removed from the body ofa wearer in the usual way. 4

\Vithin the shoulder pockets 1st are independent inflatable bags or members I'Tthe latter each being provided with the usual valve tube 18 carrying a removable screw cap 19 whereby air may be introduced into thesa id bag and prevented from escape therefrom. as ordinarily used on bicycle tires. The Iloats 17 are relatively long and gradually widen from their (enters toward their ends.

-As shown they extend from the neck openin the pockets l3 nd 14 are independent The valve tube 18 is of a type leis inflatable air bags or members 20, each being provided with theusual valve tube for permitting the introduction of air and preventing its escape. The valve tubes extend through suitable openings'in the front sections 6 outwardly exteriorly thereof for free accessibility whereby the air bags may 'be readily and conveniently inflated when the occasion requires. It is of course to be understood that the vestis worn in the ordifiary manner and on such occasion the bags are in collapsed condition.

It is clearly obvious that when the bags are inflated with air should one become punctured it will not affect or in any way disturb the other bags so that the vest will not be deprived of its usefulness'as a life preserver.

It is to be observed that the adjacent edges of the horizontally arranged floats are spaced. The same is true of the ends of a shoulder float in relation to the upper edge of the uppermost float.

When the garment is worn, the floats being deflated, stretching, rubbing and chafing of thccontacting rubber is greatly reduced as the intermediate web portions of the garment between the adjacent edges of the floats admit .of the garment conforming to the movements of the body of the wearer. 'VVhen the floats are inflated,\a great advantage obtained by these intermediate web portions is that the. floats, to a great extent, have an individual movement, thus not hampering a swimmer. This is very important. The ends of the shoulder floats terminating in the front and back on a horizontal line with the arm-pits permits full freedom of the shoulder bone.

What is claimed is 2- A Iife,preservin vest formed of inner and outer plies of flexible fabric of substantially the same size, the plies being secured toether at their edges, means for maintaining a plurality of circumferentially extending inflatable floats arranged between the Y JOHN R. ORTMAN.

Witnesses Gno. W. HYDE, J HN BRYAN. 

